Maybe it just took a while for the message to sink in. It’s been five weeks since Garry Monk told Jonjo Shelvey that the problems in his head were close to cancelling out the game-changing talent in his feet.

The word he used was ‘lazy’; the message was that if Shelvey kept trundling around the pitch collecting thoughtless yellow cards then Swansea would soon lose patience with a player who ran out of time at Liverpool.

On Sunday, his talent came up with a delayed reaction, the midfielder hitting a brilliant strike from 25 yards with seven minutes remaining. The goal came from nowhere — and so did the win — for a side that rarely finds rewards on the road.

Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey unleashes a stunning strike to open the scoring against Southampton on Sunday afternoon

Shelvey's effort flew past Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster as Swansea recorded their first Premier League win in over a month

Former Liverpool midfielder Shelvey celebrates after scoring the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute at St Mary's

Bafetimbi Gomis (left) is among the Swansea players to join Shelvey's celebrations in front of the travelling supporters at St Mary's

Jonjo Shelvey scored the only goal of the game from long-range - CLICK HERE for more in our brilliant Match Zone.

SUPER STAT!

This was Swansea’s first away win against Southampton since 1953, when they were known as Swansea Town.

Monk spoke of a ‘spot-on’ game-plan to let Southampton hog possession before a late onslaught.

Ronald Koeman’s view was more in keeping with most others here, that his side enjoyed ‘total domination’ and should have won. How costly this sucker punch could be to Southampton’s bid to storm the top four.

This was not a game they should have lost, nor a fixture they had cause to fear. Swansea’s pre-match tally of Premier League away wins was two. There ought to be perspective, though. Southampton had so many injuries they could not fully stock their bench. And their defence, the tightest in the top flight, was only breached by a sublime goal.

But the concern, quite aside from Ryan Bertrand’s straight red card for a horrible late foul on Modou Barrow, should be how possession was not turned into goals. These are opportunities Koeman knows cannot be missed.

‘It is difficult to keep our position in the table and we know that,’ he said. ‘We have to be very good in each game and if our players are not at their best it is more difficult.

‘We can expect teams like Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool to win games as they are big teams with good players. The position, even after this defeat, is not normal for Southampton — but we keep going. I’m frustrated because I don’t think we deserved to lose. We played very well in the first 45 and had total domination. In the second half we had less control but the lucky team won. That’s football.’

On Bertrand’s foul, which led to Barrow leaving the pitch on a stretcher, Koeman did not share the common view that such a high tackle merited a red card. He said: ‘In my opinion it is not a red card. In my opinion these fouls are yellow.’ Barrow will be ‘fine’, according to Monk, who added: ‘I thought it was a bad tackle. I’m not sure it was a red card. It is the momentum that made it look bad.’

For Monk, this was a happy homecoming to a club that employed him for eight years before his time at Swansea.

He is currently experiencing his first adverse moments in the dugout, having seen Wilfried Bony sold to Manchester City and his side winless in the league since Boxing Day coming into this game.

For long spells here, this looked like another miserable away day. James Ward-Prowse shot straight at Lukasz Fabianski after seven minutes and Dusan Tadic miscued a volley later in the half.

By the time Shelvey pounced, Southampton had taken more than 65 per cent of the possession. Even then there was time for Sadio Mane to have two shots cleared off the line by Ashley Williams.

Defender Bertrand is sent crashing to the ground after a challenge during a goalless opening period at St Mary's

Monk said: ‘It has been a difficult month for us for various reasons — losing players, injuries, suspension. But we went back to basics. We executed a game-plan.

‘I knew we were against a very good side in the Champions League spots. The plan was to concede possession, frustrate them and then when the crowd gets frustrated they would look for a goal. We wanted to use the ball in those moments and what a great strike. Tactically we got it spot on.’